I recently had a Day Trading for Dummies reader ask me about the tax effects of an equity options strategy that he was using. His broker was not giving him a clear answer, and that’s not a surprise – derivatives are taxed differently than stocks and bonds, which is part of their appeal for day… [Read More]
Blog
Category: Financial Advice
Paying for College: Giving Savings Bonds
For decades, American families have used US Savings Bonds to help children save money for college. They don’t offer the best return, but they have no risk (other than inflation) and some tax benefits. They are easy to purchase, too. In the past, they had an additional advantage: the spiffy paper bond with a maturity… [Read More]
Why I Love My Netbook
I know, I know, it’s so horribly old-fashioned in a tablet world, but I am the happy owner of my second ASUS eee PC. It’s a perfect machine for traveling, whether to downtown or halfway across the world. Mine is loaded with the full version of Microsoft Office, so I can do any work I… [Read More]
Paying for College: Admissions and Financial Aid
College admissions isn’t quite as difficult as most people think; once you get past the top 30 or whatever colleges, most students who are reasonably serious and reasonably prepared will be accepted. The real trick is paying for it. Different colleges have different approaches. Some colleges are need-blind: they draw up their freshman class without… [Read More]
The Tension Between Living for Today and Preparing for the Future
Lately, I’ve been thinking that the conundrum in personal finance is this: tension between living for today and preparing for the future. I have friends and relatives who died long before their time, and friends and relatives who were going strong in their 80s and 90s. I don’t want to be so focused on saving… [Read More]
